General News
11 June, 2026
Health care providors help bridge rural care
Through a collaborative effort with Deakin Health, Grampians Health has received recognition for addressing inadequate access to education and health for rural Victorians.
Deakin Rural Health and Grampians Health were granted the Deakin University Faculty of Health Partnerships in Practice 2026 award for joining forces to drive a pioneering research initiative called CARA.
The co-recipient for the award, Dr Anna Wong Shee, said she considers it a great privilege to receive this recognition for the CARA initiative’s research.
“This recognition reflects the strength of Grampians Health’s collaboration with Deakin Rural Health, and the shared commitment to improving health outcomes for the communities we serve,” Dr Wong Shee said.
By harnessing advanced geospatial mapping and computing, CARA measures how travel time and distance impact the community’s access to healthcare.
These precise metrics allow health services to target sources and bring healthcare closer to regional and rural Victorians.
To help better understand how far so many regional Victorians must travel for emergency care, the CARA partnership has mapped over 750,000 hospital presentations.
By mapping these access gaps, CARA is translating critical research into real-world infrastructure planning.
Grampians Health Chief Medical Officer, Professor Matthew Hadfield, noted the award recognition highlights the significance of collaborative research.
“We are proud to work alongside partners who share a commitment to evidence-based care and stronger health outcomes for the region," Professor Hadfield said.
"Our partnership with Deakin Rural Health and CARA helps address access-related health disparities between rural, regional, and metropolitan Australians, ensuring communities in our region can access the care they need, closer to home."
For more information about CARA, visit greateraccessforall.com.